There is known a cell analyzer that flows a sample containing cells through a flow cell, irradiates the sample with light, receives the light from the cells irradiated with light, and analyzes the cells based on change in a light receiving amount by the passing of the cells.
As such a cell analyzer, there is also known a cell analyzer equipped with a camera for capturing a cell contained in the sample flowing through the flow cell (refer to, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/108103, for example). In the cell analyzer described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/108103, the image data obtained by capturing the cell is stored in an image storage unit, and is output from an output unit as necessary.
The cell analyzer described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/108103 discriminates cancerous/atypical cells from a plurality of cells using characteristic parameters calculated by analyzing waveform data based on the change in the light receiving amount, but the cells come in various shapes and sizes and include cells that cannot be appropriately analyzed with only the analysis based on the light receiving amount.
In such a case, visual analysis by the operator becomes necessary. In the cell analyzer described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/108103, the image data of the cell stored in the image storage unit can be output from the output unit. However, even if only the image data is output, it may be difficult for the operator to analyze the cell in the image data because the contour of the cell in the image data is blurred, or the position of the nucleus of the cell cannot be determined.